Topsy-Turvy
by Estenyn the Brave-ish
Summary: Romania and Norway escape a boring World Meeting thanks to a marshmallow gun. Soon after, some very adorable events happen, Moldova makes an appearance, and then they leave for Norway's home with the other Nordics. Shortly after they arrive, their lives get turned topsy-turvy when a magical being attacks, and it's up to Lukas, Vladimir, and Emil to stop it from killing them all.
1. The Marshmallow Gun Incident

Author's Note:

Hello, again! This is a particularly fun sort-of story I've been working on. It's actually a roleplay I've been doing with NorgeStone on Facebook. It's been loads of fun for us to work on! Only minor edits have been made for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Also, we began this story in the early part of the summer, and we have had a few breaks since then, so please don't be surprised if the writing style changes a little throughout the story! He format may also seem a little strange, but that is largely because I wanted to keep our responses clear. I am Romania, Moldova, Iceland, and most of the rest of the cast. Norway is my lovely roleplay partner! Feel free to critique our writing, I really want to improve! Also, formatting tips would be fantastic!

Happy reading! -E

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Romania was bored. Not just any old kind of bored. He was bored during a world meeting, and if you don't understand how impossible that is then I don't even know what to tell you. Romania was bored. Italy was ignoring everything, Romano was making threats, Germany was trying to get everyone under control, Bulgaria was ignoring him, and there were the Nordics, with Norway looking sexy as ever. He could literally start drooling, right there. No, no. Bad Romania! No drooling over someone you're not dating.

Norway sat in between the annoying Dane and Iceland. He was getting pretty fed up with Denmark constantly nudging him, asking him to explain what was being said, then going back to ignoring the meeting. He sighed in frustration, and pinched the man beside him hard. He should have sat by Finland instead. But even he was distracted by the talk of saunas with Sweden. Norway scanned the room, looking for an empty seat. Denmark would complain loudly though, and probably cause everyone to look at them, which Norway didn't want. But he supposed it was better than being kicked out for choking Denmark. He spotted three empty seats. One beside Turkey, one beside Romania, since it seemed Moldova was missing, and the always empty chairs at the micronations section. Well, one and two was an absolute no, and him and Romania weren't on bad terms at all, so he stood up and made his way over, even though it seemed like he was drooling? But perhaps it was because he was so far away that it seemed like that was happening.

Romania gasped and straightened up a little. Norway was walking over to him. /Norway/ was /walking over/ to /him/. He attempted to not hyperventilate and watched him. What did he want? Was he watching him before? Oh God had Romania actually drooled? Oh, good, he hadn't.

Norway walked over to the Romanian, and just as he had predicted, Denmark questioned why he was leaving him. It seemed the people around them had actually grown numb to the Dane's random shout outs, and no one really seemed to take much notice, which was a big relief to Norway. So, without answering Denmark, who pouted in retaliation, Norway stole the missing Moldova's seat before turning to look at Romania. "You're more bearable than Denmark." He told him, before trying to get back into paying attention to the meeting.

All the alarm bells were going off in Romania's head. Was that a compliment? WaS THaT a CoMPLiMeNT?! Had Norway just complimented him? Okay, breathe, Romania. Breathe. Don't let him see how much you want to hug him and kiss him and steal that adorable hair clip. Conceal, don't feel, don't let him know...~ Oh, crap, Germany's asking a question. What did he say?!

To be honest, now without a distraction from the meeting, Norway realized how incredibly dull Germany's voice was. It was a distraction in itself, thinking about how much he didn't want to listen to Germany. Perhaps he should have just stayed where he was. But he had already made his decision to come over here. Plus, he didn't want to insult Romania, or give Denmark the satisfaction that Norway had came back to him. As his boredom begged for a better distraction, Norway turned to look at Romania slightly, who seemed just as distracted, though he might not have noticed had he not known Romania for a while now. It wasn't hard for himself or England to recognize when he was nervous. But Lukas was not interested in questioning what his distraction was, it was satisfaction enough to notice it. He poked Romania in the cheek. "Pay attention." He scolded, even though he himself still was not hearing a word Germany was saying.

Romania squeaked at the words and touch. Oh no. Oh. No. Norway wanted him to pay attention. How was he supposed to respond?! He blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "But Germany is so boring!" He whispered back. "How am I supposed to pay attention when I don't like him?"

"Don't give excuses." Norway said, but what was he doing? This whole conversation was an excuse to ignore Germany for the exact reasons Romania had blurted out in his own defense. But who needed to know that? Certainly NOT Romania. He debated with himself whether or not to say more. If Romania actually decided to listen to him, Norway would have ran out of excuses himself and would have to be dulled by the repetitive German. But if he continued, it would require speaking more. And to be honest, that was a just as unwanted result. But he didn't want his distraction to die. And at least Romania wasn't as loud or annoying as Denmark was, which made him more bearable.

"It's not an excuse, it's a fact!" Romania protested. "Even Italy isn't paying any attention! And he's dating the guy!" He kept his voice quiet so they wouldn't be heard. "I don't even want to be here!"

'Italy doesn't pay attention to anyone.' Norway thought to himself, but he kept that in his head. He didn't need his opinion's being heard by wandering ears. He looked over at the other Nordics, who weren't paying attention to Germany, but they weren't paying attention to him either. He would regret what he was thinking if he acted on it. It would mean not having any knowledge of what was discussed, but usually Northern Europe wasn't brought up anyways. "Then let's leave." He suggestion quietly. He was stuck between hoping that Romania hadn't heard him or would ignore him and then Norway wouldn't have to sneak out of the meeting, and wanting Romania to fully agree with him and just ditch the boring lecture that was this meeting.

Romania grinned so widely his sharp canines were visible. "That's the best thing I've heard all day. Where do we want to sneak to? Will we need a distraction? I have a marshmallow gun in my bag, Moldova gave it to me so I could mime suicide if I got too bored. I could shoot it at Italy so he freaks out and Germany gets distracted! Or is that a bad plan? Ah, sorry, I'm talking too much again." Romania said all of this very fast and very softly.

Norway blinked, trying to process everything Romania had said. It sounded like something Denmark would say, only it was coming out of Romania's mouth. It was sort of weird, since he didn't felt the same urge to shut him up like he did when Denmark blurted out stupid plans. He opened his mouth to speak, before shutting it again, not knowing how to respond to him. He looked over at Germany. Perhaps this was a bad idea. It was something he would surely say no to, or at least make it visible that he was not pleased with his actions. But who was to say it wouldn't work? Germany would for sure yell and reprimand them if he saw them leaving without a better excuse than 'Your voice is annoying and we could no longer sit here and listen to you.' He looked at Romania and, with an unexpected shrug from himself, he said. "Go for it."

Romania grinned. "When Italy screams, run for it." He whispered, pulling out the rather nice marshmallow gun. He grabbed a marshmallow, loaded his weapon, and took a deep breath before aiming. Germany wasn't looking, and neither were Italy and Romano. He had a clear shot... He fired. Italy wailed loudly as he was struck, Romano shouted expletives, and Germany immediately ran to his boyfriend's aid. This was their chance!

To be honest, Lukas really hadn't expected Romania to pull out a marshmallow gun. He had never even seen one before now, and was shocked when Romania truly did fire one at Italy. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Probably something more along the lines of 'Just kidding!' or, 'Seriously? That won't work!' but Romania had fully intended to go through with his marshmallow themed plan, and it had worked too. Both Germany and Romano were distracted, and Italy was crying. Norway felt kind of bad, since he didn't really want to hurt anyone, at least anyone innocent, but he didn't really have to time to go and comfort the Italian, and he wouldn't anyways. So, while everyone looked for the culprit, and questioned why said culprit would attack with a marshmallow, Norway stood up from his seat and looked back at Romania. He wasn't paying attention once again, probably thinking about his victory, so Norway grabbed his arm and yanked on it. "Come on." He said, slyly dragging him out of the room. A few other nations had to have spotted the two sneaking out, but no one would rat them out, especially since they could guess that it was Romania who had hit Italy, and they didn't want to face the same marshmallowy fate.

Romania still had his gun on him, too. He was laughing softly as they escaped into the hall. Then they heard Germany bellow and Romania gasped. He grabbed Norway's hand and started running. "Come on, run! He's going to catch us!" He laughed. "This is the best World Meeting I've ever been to!" Romania kept laughing and grinning as they fled, his grip tightening on Norway's hand a little. His heart was pounding in his chest and his hat was about to fall off. This. Was. Awesome.

Lukas had looked back when he heard Germany yell out. Had he noticed their absence? Was he really coming after them? But all those thoughts came to a halt when he heard Romania gasp, and the next thing he knew, he was flying down the hallway, hand in hand with Romania, barely keeping up with the much more fit nation. He wanted to look back to see if they were being chased, but he was too focused on trying not to tip at Romania's unearthly speed. "W-wait! Slow down!" Lukas asked, holding Romania's hand tighter so not as to lose him. If Romania let go, Norway would go flying, and eventually face planting into the ground. And he would be caught for sure. He couldn't fathom how Romania got joy out of running away from being caught. But his laugh was intoxicating, and if Norway hadn't been gasping for breath and fearing for his life (okay, that was an exaggeration), he might have joined along.

Romania laughed and laughed, grinning at Norway with exhilaration in his eyes. He laced their fingers together so Norway wouldn't lose his grip. "Come on, he's catching up!" Romania laughed. He whooped as they started to approach the exit. "We're almost free!" He reached out with his other hand and pushed the door open so they could run out into the open sunlight and freedom of the outside. He cheered again and flung their linked hands into the air. "We made it!"

Lukas didn't like being pulled around. It made him feel out of control. But when he heard that Germany was close, his desire to not be caught overpowered his constant need for stability. So he let Romania continue to drag him along, even picking up his pace slightly to try and keep up with him. When he saw the door in sight, Norway couldn't help the tiny twinge of excitement in him, though it might have just been his heart pounding in his chest from lack of oxygen. When they bust through the door, Norway let out a tiny gasp, not expecting the sun. But when they were outside, and Romania was throwing their entwined hands in the air, he finally was able to feel some of that thrill Romania seemed to radiate. He didn't laugh loudly like Romania, and it was probably compared to a chuckle more so than anything, but it was the most joyful emotion Norway had shown all day. It was amazing how contagious Romania's laughter was, though Norway was sure he wouldn't feel it as much once the initial thrill was over.


	2. Coffee and Toffee-But Actually Macaroons

Author's Note: This is a long chapter! A lot happens, too. Again, thanks to Norge Stone for permission to post this! I have done my best to correct for spelling and grammar, but please let me know if I missed anything!

Happy reading! -E

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Romania grinned at Norway and let go of his hand, putting the marshmallow gun back into his pocket. "Where to now? That was so fun! I have to thank my baby brother for that marshmallow gun, who knew it would be that useful!? Norway, we should go do something fun, something the complete opposite of that boring meeting!" Romania chattered happily. "Where should we go? You can pick since I made the plan to escape."

Norway still wasn't completely out of the meeting yet, mentally anyways. They had moved too fast, and despite the fact that he seemed to enjoy himself outwardly, inside he still was a bit confused and dizzy. It wasn't until Romania finally let go of his hand that he focused on the present. Norway turned to Romania and looked up at him. He made a questioning noise, not exactly sure what Romania had asked him, but knowing it was something along the lines of 'Where are we going now?' He really didn't know. Norway didn't get out much that didn't involve the other Nordics or the Magic Club. To be honest, he was boring, and that was probably the most exciting thing he had done all week. After taking a moment to think about how boring he was, and not where to go, he came to conclusion that he had been thinking too long and just needed to blurt something out. "You have the good plans, you pick someplace." He said, trying to sound annoyed to justify his response, but instead it sounded a bit more wishful. Especially since if the decision truly was left up to him, he would probably pick something that bore Romania anyways, especially since his idea of fun was marshmallow guns and high speed foot chases.

"Well, we could go lots of places! There's a museum nearby with a new exhibit if you want to go see that, or we could go to the park and walk around for a while, or we could go watch a horror movie at my house, or we could go buy a can of spray paint and mess up the meeting room windows to make Germany even madder! We can do anything!"

Norway shook his head at the last one. "Let's try to not get ourselves written up." He said. He didn't want Germany any angrier at him, especially since this usually wasn't how Norway behaved, and he would be lectured more than the trickster Romania would be if they were caught. He thought a bit more about the options that Romania had thrown out. Museums were boring to him. He didn't find satisfaction in looking at paintings. He didn't really want to go all the way to Romania's house either, especially if they would be watching a horror film. He wasn't sure if his heart would be able to take that. "Park." He said flatly with a little nod. It seemed like that might be fun, even though he hadn't been to a park in a long time. But walking was calm and right up his alley, though he figured Romania was going to grow bored with it ten minutes in just like Denmark tended to do.

Romania nodded. "There's one just a few minutes away, and there's this little coffee shop on the way that I like to visit when I'm here. They sell delicious macaroons!" He laughed. "Come on, it's this way." He started walking. "That was really fun. I can't wait to tell Mol all about this! He's going to get a kick out of what I did with that marshmallow gun. Hey, what do you want to get at the coffee shop? They make really good stuff. And it's not too expensive, either!" He grinned toothily.

Norway looked at Romania as he spoke in his excited utterance. His eyes kept falling to his sharp canines. He had always been curious about them, but he wasn't exactly one to start questioning people about their body abnormalities, considering he had a floating little curl. He listened to Romania, keeping in pace with him. At least he wasn't running again. Norway didn't think he could handle that. He wondered if there was anyone he could tell about their adventure. He supposed he could tell Iceland, but he would probably dismiss him for licorice. He supposed this little mischief was his to keep to himself, as most anything he did was. He suddenly realized he had been lost in his own thoughts again, just absentmindedly nodding as Romania spoke, but he had asked a question again. "Oh, well, I'll just get a coffee." He said. Coffee was one of his favorite things, with the exception of perhaps butter, but that wasn't something he went around telling everyone about, though the other Nordics thought it was fun to bring up at the worst of times.

"Okay!" He laughed, starting to lead the other away. A breeze gusted by, but his hat didn't fall off even though it teetered. "I've known this shop for a while now, and I like dropping in. They know me by name. I'll introduce you! Hey, Nor, do you think they'd kick me out if I fired my marshmallow gun at them? I don't know. Maybe, I guess, right?" He laughed harder. "Oh, but the looks on their faces!"

Norway nodded along with him. He probably could have fit in an 'Okay' or a 'Cool', but he just continued to agree silently. When he brought up the marshmallow gun again, Norway rolled his eyes. Romania was like a little kid with a brand new toy, wasn't he? "It's likely." He told him when he asked if he thought he would get thrown out. Plus it would probably mean they would probably have to make a mad dash out of there again. But then Romania was laughing again, and Norway found himself being sucked in. He smiled slightly, though he didn't direct it towards Romania, he just smiled as they continued to walk, looking for the coffee place that Romania had spoken of so highly before, but was now planning to shoot marshmallows at it. "But if you plan on doing it anyways, just let me get a coffee first." He said with a slight chuckle. He thought he was being funny at least.

Romania laughed at Norway's words. "Okay, I will! Don't worry." He grinned at the other. "I'll probably get a bag of macaroons, we can share if you like. Oh, look! There it is!" It was a blue building with a dangling sign outside, calling the place 'Coffee and Toffee'. Romania waved Norway along and sped up a little, laughing again. He did that a lot.

Norway looked up when Romania pointed at the coffee shop. It was a funny looking place, but if Romania thought so highly of it, it must be a good one. Romania sped up a little, taking Norway a bit off guard. He blinked and faltered for a second, watching Romania as he advanced on the store. Norway shook his head before speeding up a bit to try and catch up with him. Once he fell back in step with Romania, he took a better look at the shop they were headed in. The place was called 'Coffee and Toffee', something Norway thought was a cute play on words. The building was blue, making it stand out amongst the grey and brown of the rest of the town. That was probably why Romania was so drawn to it. It made sense. When they reached the building, Norway didn't hesitate to walk in. It wasn't awfully busy, nothing compared to high end coffee places Norway had seen, though he tended to avoid those since it meant waiting forever for a simple black coffee.

Romania waltzed right up to the counter and chattered with the barista for a minute or two. Somebody was already getting his macaroons and coffee. He definitely was a regular if they knew what he would order by heart. Romania's smile got even more cheerful and his laugh even more boisterous. "This is a friend of mine, Lukas. We ditched a meeting and are going to go wander around the park for a while."

Norway watched as the people behind the counter got to work getting Romania's order ready, without him even having to ask. He just went straight up to the barista and began to chat with them. Norway felt a self-conscious wave wash over him when Romania decided to introduce him to the people he was talking to, and revealing their plans for the day. Also that they had been ditching their duties, which made a shameful red tint hit his face. He didn't offer a hello, and even a nod in recognition when the barista acknowledged him. He decided to just hang out behind Romania and, hopefully, they could move on with their…What was this called? Surely there had to be a name for it. Picnic was the only word coming to mind, even if they hadn't exactly planned it like that, but it worked for him. He decided to study the inside of the tiny shop to distract himself as Romania chatted away and waited for his order. The inside was just was cute as the outside, but the shop didn't feel as welcoming as it had, though Norway figured it was because he was embarrassed.

Suddenly, Romania turned bright red and shouted something, even more embarrassed than Norway. It was kind of startling. All the people working started laughing their faces off, as if sharing an inside joke.

Norway looked at Romania, a bit surprised when he was suddenly shouting. He didn't really understand what was said, or why it was said, or why it suddenly made Romania turn as red as his coat, but Norway was soon forgetting about his own embarrassment, it being replaced with confusion as to why everyone around him was laughing. He didn't understand, but he guess it had to be something them and Romania shared, or maybe Norway just didn't have the same humor as them. Whatever the case, Norway stood up a bit taller by Romania, and waited patiently for Romania's order. Watching everyone around them laughed, even as the joke had been about five minutes old now. He looked over at Romania, who was still red. He decided to speak his confusion, so his not joining in on the laughter didn't make him seem rude. "What was that about?" He asked, instead of saying 'I don't understand' which would have made him sound ignorant and silly.

One of the baristas opened her mouth with a twinkle in her eye, but Romania flapped his arms. "You hush! Don't you /dare/!" He yelped. "Alright, alright." The barista laughed. "Oh, here's your stuff Vlad. Lukas, what would you like?"

Norway furrowed his brow in confusion and curiosity. Why wasn't he allowed to know? Everyone else seemed to, and he was right there. You can't just make a joke and leave someone out. He almost started to pout, but that would have been childish, and really, it wasn't exactly was his business, was it? Even if he really wanted to know. However, the barista was suddenly moving away from that topic and to him, asking what he wanted. His face fell back to normal. "Just a coffee." He said, knowing it wouldn't take long for them to make that. So, in the little time, he looked at Romania. "You don't have to tell me the thing, but why can't I know?" Norway almost demanded. He at least deserved to know why he wasn't allowed to be let in on something that was able to make everyone crack up, and make Romania turn so red just from saying.

Romania somehow got even redder. "It's just... Really embarrassing...!" He whimpered. The barista took an extra moment with his coffee. "There you go! See you later, Vlad! Hope to see you again, Mr. Lukas!" She waved goodbye as Romania hurried from the shop in a flustered flurry of red and delicious macaroon smells. He ate one quickly. Just as Norway began to sip his coffee, he noticed writing on the cup. It was at a bad angle, so he would have to wait until Romania wasn't looking to read what it said.

Norway had opened his mouth to question him further, but Romania had technically answered his question, even if it wasn't a satisfying answer. After he got his coffee, the barista waved a goodbye, but before Norway could respond Romania was ushering him out. He let out a startled yelp as he was dragged away from Romania's embarrassment in a swirl of fading blue and the smell of macaroons. When they were out of the shop though, and Romania had stopped dragging him out, Norway was finally able to take a drink of his coffee. It was hot, but that had never bothered Norway, and he had even grown immune to the scalding heat. As he pulled the cup away, he looked up at Romania. At least his flushed face was starting to return to its normal color. He looked at his bag of sweets, his stomach suddenly growling. "Gimme one." He told Romania, gesturing his head towards the cookies.

Romania smiled and handed him two. That was a habit of his, one that he had never been able to shake. It had started with Moldova, but had grown to anyone he had affection for... No matter what sort of affection it was. "The park's this way. Is your coffee just as good as mine? I love their coffee. I can't believe they teased me!" He pouted. Okay. Woah. No. That was NOT a cute pout, not at ALL. ... That was the cutest pout Norway had ever seen.

Norway hadn't asked for two, but suddenly he was holding two. He shrugged, not thinking anything of it. He took a bite out of one, eating the treat happily. He looked at Romania as he spoke. He never really left much room for a response, did he? But then again, Norway wasn't exactly the most talkative person anyways. Plus, there was a cookie in his mouth, so he couldn't respond anyways. He studied Romania's face. His happy chatter of his love for their coffee suddenly turned back into the flustered, embarrassed face, and a slight pout. Norway wondered if he had even tried to hide it, because had he tried, he was failing miserably. Norway looked away as soon as he noticed it though, not wanting to be caught staring at him. He took another sip of his coffee to wash down the macaroons, before speaking. "How far away is this park?" He asked after clearing his throat, a slight pink on his face.

"Oh, just a few minutes! It's a lovely place, I go there often myself when I want to slow down and unwind. There are rarely any children or anything so there's no loud noise, and there are birds singing all over the place... It's got this little pond with these really cute fat fish in them. They're fat cause people keep feeding them even though they're not supposed to. I'm guilty of it myself, actually." Romania spoke about the little park with a light in his eyes. It was clearly someplace he cared about and thought of fondly, a place he treasured.

As Romania spoke, Norway listened carefully. The more he spoke, Norway realized that he could listen to Romania talk forever. Even if Norway didn't see as much beauty in the things around him, hearing Romania talk about it was almost as good as experiencing it himself. He nodded in response. "You seem to have good judgement." He said, trying to explain that if Romania liked it, he would probably like it as well. It was funny hearing Romania talk though. He went on and on about silly things that some people might not even notice, like fat fish. When the park came into view, Norway could feel anticipation of seeing what Romania saw. He took another drink of his coffee and ate the other macaroon Romania had handed him. He looked toward the Romania, noticing the light in his eyes. He then turned to face the park again. What a place this must be if he looked like that.

As it turned out, the park was just as beautiful as Romania described. Almost nobody else was there, and there was indeed a pond. "Want to see the fish? They know me, so they'll come right up to the surface and the shore to see if I've brought them food." He smiled and slipped a hand into his pocket, pulling it out to reveal a small paper bag. He shook it to reveal breadcrumbs inside. "I swear they get fatter every day." He laughed. The trees dipped and swayed in the light wind around them. "Come on, they'll all pop up above the surface and make funny sounds! It's so cute!" He laughed.

Norway didn't think that fish behaved like that, and followed in curiosity. He followed him toward the pond, chuckling slightly when he saw Romania just pull out a bag of bread crumbs. Were his pockets endless? He looked around the park a bit as Romania talked about his well trained and well fed fish. The park really was pretty, even to Norway. Plus it wasn't filled with annoying screams. Once they were in front of the pond, Norway peered into the water. He didn't see any fish yet, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen, and he was truly looking forward to it. Just if it meant that Romania would laugh some more.

Romania leaned forward and peered into the water. Suddenly, a dozen or more fish appeared, popping their mouths above the surface and wiggling, knowing the Romanian had food for them. He laughed and sprinkled some breadcrumbs for them to eat. They splashed around and made strange gurgling noises as they all tried to get the crumbs. Romania smiled at them and kept feeding them, sometimes laughing at a particular flop or flail or other.

Norway was amazed when he saw fish start to pop out of the water, just from seeing Romania. He peered into the pond and watched as they all splashed around. It was kind of cute. But soon Norway wasn't looking at the fish, and was paying attention to Romania instead. He was smiling, which in turn made Norway smile. He then looked down at the bag of crumbs he was sprinkling into the water, which was why they were splashing and making weird fish noises. Norway poked Romania. "Can I?" He asked, wanting to get the same reaction that the fish gave Romania, even if it was just because he was offering the animals food. It was funny seeing fish behave like this. When Norway thought of fish, he thought of food, but that wasn't all his fault. Fish had been a main staple of his people's food forever.

Romania nodded and held out the bag. "Have you ever fed fish before? Don't hold too much and don't sprinkle too fast. Try to get a wide area so they don't kill each other trying to get it." Romania guided his hand a little, blushing softly as their hands touched. No, heart, don't do the thumpy thing.

Norway allowed him to guide his hand, seeing as he wasn't exactly skilled in fish feeding. He didn't think much of the gesture, and just enjoyed the reaction he was getting from the fish. They jumped and splashed around just as much for his food as they had Romania's. He enjoyed the display, and even let a small smile slip on his face. He continued to let Romania guide him, even if he thought he had probably figured the pattern out by know, and could do it on his own if he wanted to. However, soon they were out of breadcrumbs to feed the large fish, and the frown was back in place. "You're out." He said, emptying the little that was left into the pond for the remaining fish to splash about to get.

Romania shrugged. "I always run out." He sat down next to the pond, which seemed to signal the fish that the feeding frenzy was over. Romania patted the ground next to him. "It's dry if you'd like to sit." He smiled up at the Norwegian. Those teeth were visible again... And so was the writing on Norway's cup. 'I asked if you were the guy Vlad keeps telling us about, the guy he's crushing on. He said yes.'

Norway straightened up and sat beside Romania, setting his coffee down and looking out of the pond. He hadn't noticed the writing, figuring it had to just be his name or something. He turned to Romania and noticed his toothy smile again. Now that they were alone, and since Romania had heard Norway talk more than he think anyone else ever had in a day, and especially laugh, he worked up the courage to ask about his pointed fangs. "Your teeth." Norway started, pointing towards them, unaware that might have made Romania self-conscious. "How did you get them?" He asked, before reaching over Romania to steal the bag of goodies away from him. He really didn't need to be eating all these cookies. He hadn't even paid for them.

Romania blushed and let Norway take the macaroons. "W-well..." He sighed. "It's a long story. To make it shorter... My country contains Transylvania. What does everyone else in the world associate Transylvania with? Dracula. What was Dracula? A vampire. What do vampires have? Fangs! I'm trapped in a circle of stereotypes and fictional characters!" Romania groaned, poking at the teeth. "Mol has them too... I wish he didn't. I get enough crap for them, he doesn't need to deal with that."

Norway didn't look at Romania as he spoke, instead just listening to him carefully and staring out over the pond. The story was fascinating, and it was a curious thing that a country could be so effected by its stereotypes. But to some level, every country tended to have some part of them the represent something, including himself, where his curl represented the fjords. However, Romania's mood suddenly shifted, and Norway looked over at him as Romania began to groan. He looked away when Romania mentioned he got criticized for his fangs. Perhaps he should have left the subject alone. But now he felt obliged to say something about it, not wanting Romania to think he had only brought the subject up for him to feel bad about them. "Hm. Well, I think they're nice." He said, looking back out over the pond so Romania didn't notice his combination of red cheeks and shaded eyes.

Romania turned bright red. "Y-you do?" He sounded shocked. "Nobody's ever told me that before..." He blinked a little. Holy fudge muffins. Norway just complimented him. He wanted to die of happiness right there. This was the best day of his life.

"Yeah." Norway said, and it wasn't like it was a lie. He really did mean it, even if the only reason he had said that was because Romania felt bad. He looked over at Romania, who honestly looked surprised that he had been complimented. He looked back over the pond, taking a drink from his forgotten coffee. "Your face is really red." Norway said without even looking at Romania again. He fixed his hair. He felt like he should add something more. Or start a whole new conversation. But he really didn't know how to be a good conversationalist. However, Romania's red face reminded him of earlier, and he thought now was a good time as ever to bring it up again. "What was the joke earlier?" He asked, taking the bag of cookies and pulling two out to hand to Romania.

Romania took them and groaned. "They were teasing me." He sighed. "They know who I'm interested in and were bugging me about him." He muttered. "Again."

Norway raised an eyebrow as Romania spoke, sticking another cookie in his mouth as Romania went on. He studied his face, which was changing from annoyance to bashful, right back to annoyance. Norway could understand that. The Nordics, mainly Denmark and Finland, would often tease him whenever the subject of girlfriends or crushes or boyfriends came up. Mostly because they would try to force him to admit who he liked or what gender he was interested in. Everyone always assumed it was Denmark, seeing as they were inseparable, but Norway referred to Denmark as a brother for a reason. He nodded when Romania finished. He was actually really curious to know who Romania liked now. Just from seeing who he hung out with, and recalling conversations them and England would share at their magic club, he could guess that if he was straight, which to be honest, he didn't think Romania was, it would be Hungary or Ukraine, and if he was interested in guys, Norway guessed he would be interested in his friends Bulgaria or England, which him and England had discussed before when Romania was not with them. He chuckled slightly at his own thought, before realizing he should probably acknowledge that Romania spoke. "Ah, well, crushes are things that easily get people going." He stated, before looking back at the pond. "Probably just trying to get a reaction from you."

"It works every time!" He groaned, flopping back into the grass. "So what if I have a crush!? They don't have to bug me about it!" He sighed. "They just really want me to get with him."

Norway looked back at Romania as he flopped into the grass. Norway didn't really want to follow his lead, since he didn't want to feel like bugs were crawling all over him. So he instead set the bag on Romania's stomach and turned himself so the he could look down at Romania's stomach, not that he exactly wanted to. He pulled his knees up to his chin and rested his head on them. He looked over at Romania, not able to get a direct look at his face anymore. He frowned at that, but it wasn't like the frown wasn't almost always on his face anyways. He nodded in agreement, understanding what he was saying. "Is it another country?" He asked suddenly. He knew it was another guy. He wondered how much he could learn about them. Or if his guess of Bulgaria or England was right, though he doubted that he would come right out and say who it is, especially to someone who he didn't hang out with regularly.

"Yes." Romania said immediately. "It is..." He sighed. He could feel his blush growing stronger and brighter. Oh crap oh crap oh crap. What if Norway realized it was him!?

Norway watched the bag move up and down as Romania breathed. He couldn't see the growing red on Romania's face, but he noticed something was wrong when he breathing grew faster, but he didn't think anything of it. He nodded in response. So it was another nation. He reached into the bag and pulled out two cookies, putting one on Romania's chest for him, and popping the other one in his mouth to chew on. It gave him more time to think about what he would say next if he had food in his mouth. He watched the bag and Romania's stomach, wondering who it might be. He swallowed and looked back at Romania. "Do I know them well?" He asked. If it was Bulgaria the answer would be no, and if it was England the answer would be yes. He hoped Romania didn't think he was prying. Well, he was, but he really was enjoying himself as well.

"Better than anyone else." Romania sighed. He might as well be honest. There wasn't a good way to get out of this without upsetting Norway.

"Huh?" Norway asked, not expecting that answer from him. He furrowed his brow. Did Romania like one of the other Nordics? Did Romania like him? He blushed slightly at that thought, but Romania wouldn't be discussing his crush with the person he actually liked. So that meant it had to be one of the other Nordics. He frowned slightly at that thought, though he couldn't explain why. He readjusted himself so that he could see Romania's face. He looked down at him. "Is it Denmark?" He asked with a frown. He didn't want it to be Denmark. His face heated up slightly when he noticed how close he had become to get a better look at Romania, but he wouldn't pull away until he found if it was Denmark or not. They were the only ones who seemed compatible, though he supposed that it didn't really matter how someone acted. If you were physically attracted to someone it didn't much matter what else they did.

Romania made a face. "God, no. The guy drives me batty." He grumbled. "I would only be with him if I was drunk or forced to by my boss."

Norway laughed slightly. "Batty." He chuckled. Did Romania just make a vampire pun? He was honestly relieved that it wasn't Denmark though, to the point where it felt like a weight had been lifted off of him. But that meant it still had to be one of the other Nordics, and Norway was too nervous to ask who it was again. Especially since the thought that it could be him kept floating around in his mind. He finally pulled away so their bodies were as close as they had been. He wondered what it would take for Romania to be with the other Nordics, but he didn't want to as just in case his name was thrown out, and he knew id it was he would blush in front of Romania, and he was getting pretty annoyed with all the emotion he was showing with his blushing.

"It's not Sweden, either. That guy gives me the creeps." Romania shuddered. "He's too quiet!" Wait. Norway hadn't asked him if it was a Nordic, but Romania was mentioning another Nordic. That had to mean it was him, Iceland, or Finland.

"I'm quiet. I'm not creepy." Norway defended himself. He knew that Romania wasn't attacking him, but he suddenly felt the needed to defend quiet people. And Sweden wasn't even that bad. No one just ever took the time to know him. He frowned and pulled away from Romania, feeling hurt for something Romania hadn't even said. He felt his body heating up. He knew he wasn't acting irrational, but it just suddenly really bothered him that he would say that. He looked around again, not wanting to keep staring at Romania. He tried to think about what they were talking about. He just figured it had to be Finland then, since him and Iceland were both pretty quite themselves. There. He had cracked the riddle. He sighed and turned away, looking back at the pond and staring out.

"Well, it's not so much the quiet as it is the /way/ he's quiet." Romania explained. "You're quiet and pensive and calm. He's quiet in a totally different way."

"I guess." Norway responded, his frown now going away. He still didn't look at Romania. There he had it. Romania thought he was quiet and he was more than likely crushing on Finland. He stayed silent, staring at the pond again, which suddenly lost all the beauty it had held few minutes ago. "I should be going." He said, standing up. He looked down at Romania. "Thanks for taking me out I guess." He said, looking around so he didn't have to look at Romania anymore. He was being rude. And of course it was obvious, but he felt hurt. And he was blaming Romania for that.

"W-wait!" Romania yelped. "Don't go yet! I-I'm sorry if I upset you! I didn't mean to... I say stuff without thinking sometimes. I guess I did it again. I'm really sorry, Norway!" Romania reached out for him as he sat up. The macaroon bag fell to the ground, forgotten. "I-I didn't mean that you being quiet was a bad thing!" Romania tried to explain. "I just meant that as a fact! I actually like that about you! It proves that you think before you speak, unlike I do!"

Norway looked at Romania as he stood up, waiting for him to say something more, but he didn't, leaving the conversation in his hands. He looked back at the pond. He sighed, but didn't turn back to Romania. "I'm not good at talking." He said, looking back at Romania. He didn't really look sad or hurt. He bore his normal, bored look. He didn't make an effort to leave, seeing as he didn't really have anywhere to go. The meeting still hadn't ended, and he didn't want to go back to the building until the meeting was over, lest he would be dragged back into the bore fest. He bit his inner cheek. "Is it Finland?" He asked, bringing that back up. If he was being honest, that was what fueled most of his hurt feelings. The fact that Romania had the gull to like one of his friends. He wasn't sure why he would care, though. He knew that he was quiet, and he knew that most people found it weird or creepy, and well, hearing Romania say that he liked it about him, as unlikely as that sounded, it made him feel a bit better.

"No." Romania shook his head. "He's nice, but he's not my type." He smiled a little, but it wasn't as bright as before. He felt so relieved that Norway wasn't leaving.

Norway looked at Romania. He fixed his own hair that had somehow gotten disheveled. He looked around again. Well. That left him or Icey. And to be honest, Norway wasn't even sure if he wanted the answer anymore. His face turned red as he looked around him with the bored expression he always wore. He looked back at Romania. "So it's me." He said, trying to use a teasing tone, but it never came out the way he wanted it to. But he knew it had to be himself. It all would make much more sense. He stood right in front of Romania, arms crossed. He wasn't sure how he was going to respond when Romania answered him. He wanted to try and be dignified. He wasn't some girl that got easily flustered by a boy liking her. Not that he was a girl at all. He blushed at his own thoughts, wanting to hide his face but he couldn't exactly escape his own thoughts. He looked away for a moment. Now Romania would probably assume he was getting all blush-y because of this revelation. It probably all fit together that way somehow. He closed his eyes. "If it's me, I don't mind." He said, trying to clear up his embarrassment, but it only made him more embarrassed, if that was even possible.

Romania was flushed and nibbling on his lip. "Yeah." He sighed after a moment. "It's you. I'm sorry, I know it's awkward. I probably just made you more upset than before..." He murmured. "I've had an interest in you for a while, to be honest... I just... I can't help it..."

Norway looked down. He knew it. Sure it was awkward. This felt like some elaborate plan to try and make Norway fall for him or something, even though that couldn't have been possible since it had been him that moved to sit by Romania in the first place. He wasn't really upset though. To be honest he was glad it wasn't anyone else, especially not one of his friends. He didn't know why. He had never really felt feelings for Romania before today. Sure, he was the funny one in the magic group. And he always had a smile on his face that made Norway smile just thinking about it. He wasn't sure what Romania might have meant by he couldn't help himself. Of course he could. Norway wasn't exactly the best, not putting himself down. He looked past Romania, not wanting to look right at him. "Like I said, I don't mind." He said, his face turning pink again.

"Y-yeah." Romania mumbled. He seemed somehow deflated.

Norway closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do or say. He wasn't sure if he should be comforting Romania at the moment. He seemed hurt. Was he expecting Norway to throw out a confession as well? How could he? He hadn't even felt feelings like this before today. And besides, he didn't really know how to interpret his feelings anyways. He bit his own lip. He could wait and see what Romania did. He had left him in charge of everything. But that was when he was smiling happily and didn't look like a sad puppy dog. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Liking me. Does that mean you want to…" He thought of a way to word it without embarrassing himself. "Well what does it mean you want?" He asked, looking up at him.

Romania smiled a little and closed his eyes. "It means I want to hold your hand and play with it. It means I want to take turns making coffee in the mornings while the other person makes breakfast. It means I want to fall asleep next to you and be the first thing you see when you wake up. It means I want to go places and see things and do things with you, and it means I want to hide from thunderstorms under blankets and read books together. It means I want to be with you every second I possibly can. And that I want you to want the same things."

Norway couldn't help the blush that came across his face the more and more Romania spoke. He could feel his heart swelling, and a smile form on his face slightly. The more Romania spoke, the more and more Norway believed that maybe that could be them. He could almost see it happening. He could almost see himself waking up next to Romania. He could see them being together. He felt his heart racing, and a small 'Romania' escaped his lips, but he didn't know what more to say. He didn't know how to tell him that's what he wanted. That that sounded amazing. That he wanted it too, just because of the way Romania said it. He closed his eyes, picturing them together. He wished he could say things the way Romania did. He made everything sound beautiful.

"I want us to laugh, even if it's only a little bit. I want us to stay up all night because we lost track of time, and I want us to cuddle while the TV plays in the background but we forgot completely. I want us to make a thousand memories and then make a thousand more, just because we want to and because we care that much about the other person."

Norway put his hands up. He couldn't take anymore. "Stop." He said, his face dark red. He shook his head, not able to even look at Romania when he talked about him like that. He had a slight smile on his face. He looked up at Romania after a moment. He could feel his whole body was hot from bashful embarrassment. He tried to respond. He wanted to say cute things like that but he didn't know how to manage. He covered his face, trying to hide the dark red that had taken it over. He opened his mouth to speak, still having trouble forming words. He instead nodded, still unable to look at Romania. He stepped closer to him, his head butting into Romania's chest. He didn't know if that would tell Romania what he wanted though. He just wanted him to know that that's what he wanted.

Romania blinked a little and wrapped his arms around him. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked softly. "You're really red..." He gently tilted the Norwegian's chin up to get a better look at him. Their lips were inches from touching. Romania scanned his face with concerned eyes. "Did I upset you again?"

Norway was burning now, and if he was in any other setting, he might think he was getting sick. It wasn't helping that Romania didn't notice that his words were making him burn more. But then suddenly, Romania was lifting his chin up to look at him, and his blues eyes met with Romania's sparkling red ones. He swallowed hard, feeling speechless. He shook his head in reply, unable to say any words. Not when he was wrapped in Romania's arms. Not when his face was inches away from Romania's. He pushed up onto the tips of his toes, closing the space between their lips, and kissed Romania quickly, his eyes closed tight. He hadn't done anything like this in decades. He pulled away almost too quickly, not opening his eyes in fear or Romania being upset that he hadn't been able to make the first move, or for whatever other reason Romania might get upset.

Romania was smiling even wider than before. "Why'd you stop?" He laughed softly, leaning his forehead against Norway's and pulling him just a little closer. "That was perfect."

Norway couldn't help himself from laughing slightly, his face completely changing when he smiled. He leaned on Romania, feeling nothing but happy. Norway didn't smile much, but he wanted to smile when Romania was around. His closed eyes and squeezed them tighter as he smiled more. He wanted to speak, but he really didn't know what to say. It was perfect. He was perfect. So instead of speaking, he decided to just press his lips to Romania's lips again. Then his cheeks. He laughed, and lifted his hands that had been squeezed between their bodies, and wrapped them around Romania's neck. His cheeks began to hurt, not used to showing so much emotion, but he continued to smile. He opened his eyes again and looked back into Romania's bright red eyes. He then closed his eyes and laughed again, unable to contain his excitement.

Romania smiled and laughed with him, holding him even closer. "Oh." He said simply. He pressed kisses all over the other's face. "There's that smile I've been wanting to see for so long." He sighed happily and leaned their foreheads together. He couldn't stop smiling. Never did he think they would really become a couple, and here they were. "So, Norway, would you like to be mine and I could be yours?"

Norway blushed and didn't move this time, feeling happy and joyful all over. Now he really didn't want to stop smiling, knowing that Romania loved to see it. He moved his hands from being wrapped around Romania's neck and lightly touched Romania's face. He heard what Romania asked, but it took him a moment to understand. Wasn't he Romania's? Hadn't he always been his? He opened his eyes to look at him, an almost confused look on his face, until he smiled brightly again and nodded. "Ja." He said simply, but it held an intensity in itself. He nodded more, closing his eyes again.

Romania kissed his head gently. "Good." He whispered.

* * *

Review responses:

Norge Stone: You are fabulous, my friend! Even now!


	3. Meet Moldova the Fluffy Baby

Author's Note:

Hurrah for the appearance of Moldova! He's my baby. Nobody hurts my baby - at least not yet. (*cough* Foreshadowing *cough*)

Happy reading! -E

* * *

Romania gently ran a hand through Norway's hair with a soft smile. "God, you're amazing." He whispered. "That smile... It's so beautiful."

Norway looked anywhere but Romania, his face heating up again and his smile growing bigger. He had never been treated like this, like he was something special. Sure Denmark kind of praised him, but that felt more like a puppy following his owner. At least Romania made him feel like he actually liked him. He finally managed to look Romania in the eye, his own blue eyes sparkling. He felt so out of character, and it gave him a naked feeling. He felt like this was all new territory, and it kind of was. Norway had never been very interested in dating or love. But Romania's words made him curious, and the way he treated made him want to participate in it. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something sweet about Romania. Because he really did deserve it. And he thought really hard on what to say. "You're pretty great too." He said quietly, practically mumbling. He looked away again, the smile not leaving his face. "I've liked your hair." He said, and it was the truth. He always admired his hair. He wasn't exactly sure why. But that was always the feature that Norway noticed first, even in spite of Romania's pointy teeth.

"Aawe, thank you!" Romania smiled at him a little wider. He squeezed Norway a little. The pond beside them seemed even more beautiful than before. Romania kissed Norway's nose. "It's getting late... The conference must be over by now."

Norway had chuckled, feeling Romania's lips on his nose. When he mentioned that the conference must be over, Norway frowned. He didn't want to go back. He didn't want the moment to end. But he sighed. He supposed it had to happen. He looked down at Romania's chest. "I guess we have to go." He said sadly. Another emotion he didn't often feel... Romania was bringing out feelings in him Norway rarely felt, and on those occasions that he did, they were nothing like this. He knew that the other Nordics would probably be waiting on him, and he was sure Romania had to get back to be with Moldova, but he was actually enjoying himself. He supposed that was selfish of him, to want to keep Romania for himself. He looked back out at the pond, but still refused to pull away from him.

"... You know, I bet Mol would love to have some company besides me tonight." Romania murmured. "It won't be just us, but... You're welcome to come home with me. I'd take you out to dinner, but I was expecting to go home instead of doing this and Moldova can't cook."

Norway felt guilty. He didn't want to ruin all of Romania's plans. He closed his eyes. "I don't want to be a bother." He said. His frown wouldn't go away now. He finally pulled out of Romania's arms, rubbing his own nervously. He looked at the ground for a moment, wearing a disappointed look, butt he didn't want to be a burden on Romania or his brother. It wasn't like he wouldn't mind. He didn't exactly have a problem with young kids, though they tended not to like him, but he figured that was just because he might look scary to anyone who didn't know him, like Sweden only not as bad. Plus he would just be a distraction, wouldn't he? He looked back up at Romania. He didn't know what to say now. If it was a goodbye, well, they would be walking in the same direction. It wasn't like they couldn't walk back together, he reasoned, putting goodbye off further.

"You wouldn't be a bother at all!" Romania smiled and reached out to grab Norway's hand. "You'd be the furthest thing from a bother there is! Moldova won't mind, I think he'd rather like you actually. Come on, I'll cook and everything!" Romania wheedled.

Norway held Romania's hand, a bit nervously at first. To be honest he wasn't sure how his friends would react if they saw him and Romania together. The Nordics all expected Norway to get with Denmark. It was just something that was 'meant to be' like Sweden and Finland. He also knew that if Denmark or Iceland caught him holding Romania's hand they would tease him forever, and that would be embarrassing as hell. As easy as it was for Norway to show emotion and laugh around Romania, he wasn't exactly out of his shell with everyone else. Perhaps it was just because it was expected of him with the Nordics, to be the quiet condescending one. But now he was thinking far off topic. He walked with Romania, figuring he would just release his hand once they got back to the meeting hall. He still wasn't sure about accepting Romania's invitation either. He didn't want to feel like a bother to anyone.

Romania was very hopeful that Norway would join him. The meeting was over and the other Nordics were waiting for Norway. "Hey, Norge!" Denmark called. "We were wondering where you went! Ready to go home?" Romania waited with bated breath to see what Norway would do.

Norway walked towards his group, pushing past Denmark. He looked back a moment at Romania for a second. He looked hopeful, and Norway really didn't want to let him down. Besides, it wasn't like he would be staying the night, so they could all pester him when he got home. Denmark would probably love an excuse to talk to him anyways, even though Norway would ignore him. "I'm going home with Romania." He said, looking at Denmark, telling him, before turning to everyone else to see if there was any objection on their part. He didn't care if Denmark whined about him going, though he might feel a tiny bit guilty, since sometimes Denmark didn't click with any of the other Nordics, as Sweden didn't like him and Iceland kind of ignored them half the time. But if anyone else objected, he would turn Romania down. Norway still believed in family before… Whatever he and Romania were now. But when no one spoke up an objection, and even Finland encouraged it slightly, wishing he could visit someone else's home, earning him a slightly sad look from Sweden, he was released back to Romania. Thankfully, none of them seemed to notice that they had been holding hands before. He didn't want any 'Staying 0ver at a boyfriends' house jokes until after he eventually embarrassed himself in front of Romania and he was asked to leave.

Romania grinned. "Come on, Moldova will love having you over!" He led the way back, which only took about ten minutes. He grabbed Norway's hand again as soon as he could, happy and smiling at him adoringly. Norway suddenly realized that Romania had a slightly different, more special smile for him, for the one he loved. Romania unlocked the door to the large but quaint house and entered. He was immediately tackled by a flying, cheering ball of brown jacket. Romania laughed and hugged Moldova, kissing his head a few times as he walked in. "Hey, Mol! Have a good day without me?" Moldova proceeded to show off the drawing he made and ask about the marshmallow gun. Romania told him the whole story of the Great Marshmallow Gun Incident, introducing him to Norway as they talked. "This is Norway. Norway, my little brother, Moldova. You've met, but I doubt either of you remembers it."

Norway stood in the door, feeling awkward as Romania was trampled by the small nation. He stepped back, letting out a shocked gasp, and watched as Romania and Moldova caught each other up on the other's day. Norway followed Romania into his house, looking around. It kind of screamed Romania, with the little hints of Moldova scattered about the house, including lost crayons and tossed clothes much too small for Romania, while at the same time looking way too big for the tiny nation. However, when Norway heard his name, he snapped out of his thoughts, looking at Romania at first to see what he wanted, only to find that he was introducing the two of them. Norway looked down at Moldova, trying to manage a smile, but it ended up looking awkward and forced. He wasn't trying to be rude, he just felt very out of place. Despite his feelings for Romania, it didn't mean he felt comfortable in his house. He just felt more comfortable around Romania. A small "Hei." slipped from his lips, and he offered a hand to Moldova to shake.

Moldova looked at it. "... You're nice. Can I hug you?" Romania winced. "Now, Mol, don't bother him. Go play in your room for a little bit, okay? I'm going to make the three of us dinner." He kissed his brother's head and sent him along. "Sorry, he's a bit fast." He apologized. He kissed Norway's cheek gently. "You're welcome to my home, okay? Treat it like your own." He smiled and gave him a quick tour. It was fairly nice, and had a huge, beautiful library that Romania kept locked with a key. "It's not somewhere my brother is allowed to go." Considering some of the books were rare and hundreds of years old, that was understandable.

"He could have hugged me." Norway said under his breath as Romania ushered him around to show him around. It wasn't like Norway was against hugs. Hugging back, however, was usually a different story. As long as Moldova hadn't tackled him like he had Romania, he wouldn't have minded much... He kind of felt bad that Romania was making him go away just because he was here. If he wasn't, Moldova might have been allowed to stick around, or maybe not. Norway didn't really know their relationship. He knew when Ice was that young, he tended to be at Norway's hip, but that was years ago when there was dangers around them constantly and not exactly anything entertaining for kids. As Romania began to show him around, he got a better idea of Romania's home life. He seemed to keep clean. A pet peeve of Norway's was a dirty home. When they came to the library, he nodded, fully understanding. He didn't have a really big library, but he had some books he would have liked to keep away from grubby hands like Denmark's. He was curious about what it looked like inside, though he didn't ask.

Romania pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. It was amazingly beautiful inside the library, with windows illuminating the huge bookshelves with sunset light. He looked around with a soft sigh. "This is my hideaway. Moldova has his own, too. They're set up so we can't bother the other if we need to be alone." He murmured. He told Norway a little bit more about Moldova. Apparently 'hug' meant 'tackle' in Moldova-speak. Romania spoke fondly of his younger brother as he looked around at all his books.

Norway tried to hear what Romania was saying, but he was completely distracted by the books surrounding him. He didn't touch them, seeing as this was Romania's sacred pace and he didn't want to disturb it. Also because most of the books would probably be in Romanian, and Norway knew very little Romanian, too little to be able to make any sense of the script. He looked over at Romania, who was on the other side, still speaking fondly of Moldova. It was amazing seeing how highly he spoke of Moldova. It was cute. He took note of what hug meant, making sure to be careful whenever Moldova offered to hug him. He walked back over to Romania, looking at whatever he was enjoying.

He was smiling at a thick book. "This library is the heart of this home to me... It's very special. And protected, too, which is good for having an active little brother." He laughed. "Well, that's everything. Come on, I'll start dinner." He kissed Norway's forehead as he passed him. "What should I make, do you think?"

Norway blushed and chuckled, his face turning red again. He was sad to be leaving this amazing room, but he followed after Romania, knowing that as soon as he left the library would lose its spectacular vibe without Romania anyways. He followed after him quickly, taking a second to realize what he had asked. Norway shook his head. "Make something Moldova would like." He said. He didn't know much about Romanian food, and he was afraid to offend Romania by saying something that he might not be accustomed to making. Besides, he was sure he would love it. To be honest, Norway liked most everything he ate. He wasn't picky about food, not really. He just enjoyed having a full stomach. It was amazing that he wasn't fat.

Romania nodded. "Okay. He's a strange eater, that's for sure." He laughed.

Norway tilted his head, wondering what Romania could have meant by 'strange eater', but that would be really rude to question, and who was he to judge anyways? Perhaps Romania's weird was his normal. Though, if he was being honest with himself, Romania seemed like he might be a bit weirder than him. Not that that was exactly a bad thing. He was starting to see that Romania's 'weirdness' was one of the things that drew Norway to him. He followed Romania into the kitchen. It was a nice kitchen, built for someone to cook in it regularly. He figured Romania probably had to cook, considering he had a little boy to feed. Not that he couldn't afford to take Moldova out or something, but even so, countries seemed to be drawn to cooking their nationalities food, instead of getting it from somewhere else. It was just a way to keep a grip on their culture, or, perhaps in Romania's case, to put their influence on smaller nations under their wing.

Romania started cooking, smiling and humming and talking with Norway the whole time. It wasn't a dish Norway recognized, but it smelled absolutely delicious. Romania's laughter continued the entire time as well, and his smile was often casted at Norway. "So, what do you normally make for dinner? Who actually cooks in your house?"

Norway sat on the counter next to Romania, starting to take advantage or Romania's earlier statement of 'make yourself at home'. He looked at what Romania was cooking over him. It did smell amazing, and Romania was really dedicated to cooking it. He listened as Romania spoke, throwing in his own opinion and statement every once in a while. When Romania asked about his home life, well, he didn't jump at the chance to talk about his house to Romania. He looked at the floor, not trying to avoid Romania's look, though it might have been taken that way. "We all cook sometimes." He explained. Sometimes it was Finland, who was the best cook in the house, and the chore even worked its way down to Iceland, who, even though he and Ice shared similar tastes, wasn't a very good cook. "I like mackerel." He said. It was his second favorite dish, right after Fårikål, his national dish. But he felt a bit embarrassed that he would like his own national meal so much compared to other things.

"Mm, I've never particularly had an interest in mackerel. Is it nice?" Romania asked as he kept cooking. "It's one of your people's favorites, am I right?"

Norway nodded his answer. It really was a favorite of his people's. It was easy to find, since they were surrounded by places to catch the fish, and it could be cooked almost any way. It was one thing he and Iceland both enjoyed, though they would argue about ways to cook it and how it should be prepared. He looked back at what Romania was cooking. He still couldn't recognize it, though he didn't think he would, anyways. "What are you making?" He asked, tilting his head. He was curious what it was that he and Moldova might normally enjoy. What was his favorite meal? He looked at Romania, curious for an answer. He wanted to know about all of Romania's favorites, so perhaps he could eventually learn how to cook for him, or what sweets to buy him, or whatever else he might like.

"Sărmăluţe cu mămăligă!" Romania chirped. "It's a popular dish, and Moldova likes it a lot. It's definitely tasty." He grinned. "I think you'll like it... I hope you'll like it." He kissed Norway's cheek. "Smells good, no?"

Norway tried to wrap that name around his brain, and he questioned how Romania could say such a thing without getting all tongue tied. It was probably much simpler for someone of that native tongue though. He nodded his response again, his face flaring up from where Romania kissed his cheek. It did smell amazing, and his stomach growled in a response as well. He looked away. He really was always hungry. He was really looking forward to the meal. Norway tapped the counter, and watched Romania as he cooked some more, enjoying the grin he had on his face. "When will it be ready?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, it won't be too much longer. I just need to finish this part up and put it all on the plates." Romania smiled and kissed his nose. "Then I'll go get Moldova and we can eat dinner! Maybe we could go spend more time in the library after." He wondered aloud. "I wonder if you'd like any of the books in there..."

Norway was not used to the affection that Romania seemed to show him so much. He chuckled, a borderline giggle, though he would never admit that was the case. He hopped off the counter and began to look for Romania's plates, wanting to help. He sort of felt like a bother, and wanted to be helpful to Romania somehow. Norway began to open cabinets in search of his plates. His stomach growled again at the prospect of dinner, which he mentally told to shush. When Romania brought up the library again, Norway looked towards him, a tiny grin on his face. He looked forward to it. "I enjoy reading, I'm sure I would find something." He mumbled allowed. He wasn't a picky reader, either. As long as he found something that he could understand, then he would love to read it.

"Wonderful! I've got all kinds of books! I think you'll find something. The plates are in the next cabinet over, if that's what you're looking for." Romania laughed.

"Ah." Norway said, going over to the next cabinet over and opening it, revealing the plates he had been searching for. "Thank you." He said, before pulling three down and setting them on the counter for Romania when he was ready. Losing his seat from before, he stood beside Romania, watching him as he cooked. He looked over his shoulder as he continued. He was curious how he ran things when he cooked, and studied him carefully. Norway himself, was not the most skilled cook, usually just throwing things together and putting butter on it. That was probably a side effect of being able to stomach almost anything. Romania seemed to be very careful when it came to his cooking.

Romania made sure it was perfect, never allowing any part of the dish to be messed up or ruined. He carefully plated the food and carried the three plates to the table. Just as he was about set the last plate down, there was a pained shriek from upstairs. Romania's head shot up and his eyes widened. He put the plate down quickly and ran towards the stairs. "MOLDOVA?!"

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Review Replies:

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